Celebrate Sacred Sites!
Flushing Meeting will host Sacred Sites Open House on Saturday & Sunday, May 5 & 6, 2018. This year’s Open House will feature guided tours, a “Flushing Day” book talk on Saturday, and a concert on Sunday, as well as updates on cultural and social programs offered throughout the year.
BOOK TALK: Saturday, May 5, 1-4pm
Join Joe DiStefano, author of the best-selling new guidebook “111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss,” photographer Clay Williams, and their editor, Karen Seiger, for a discussion of what makes Flushing—steeped in history, sacred sites, and of course delicious Chinese, Korean, Indian, and Southeast Asian cuisine—such a very, very special place. The event will also include presentations by local experts from Flushing Meeting, the Free Synagogue of Flushing, and Lewis H. Latimer House Museum.
SPIRITUAL SONGS: Sunday, May 6, 2-5pm
The Flushing Quaker Meeting House will host a special musical performance of spiritual songs by local choirs as part of the 2018 theme of “Sacred Sounds and Settings” — featuring the Willow Interfaith Women’s Choir (invited), and the Choir of Church on the Hill (invited).
This weekend is a celebration of Sacred Sites in Flushing, Queens — the most diverse and dynamic community in the United States!
Professor Scott Hanson writes in his recently published book City of Gods: “Known locally as the birthplace of American religious freedom, Flushing, Queens, in New York City is now so diverse and densely populated that it has become a microcosm of world religions.” From 1645 and “the early struggles between Quakers, Dutch authorities, Anglicans, African Americans, Catholics, and Jews to the consolidation of New York City in 1898, two World’s Fairs and postwar commemorations of Flushing’s heritage, and, finally, the Immigration Act of 1965 and the arrival of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists, and Asian and Latino Christians,” Flushing now has the highest concentration of houses of worship than any other neighborhood in the United States.
About Sacred Sites Open House:
Sacred Sites Open House was launched by the New York Landmarks Conservancy as an opportunity to experience first-hand the wonderful art, architecture and history of sacred sites in New York. Visitors also learn about the crucial social and cultural role these magnificent religious institutions play in their communities. For more information, visit the New York Landmarks Conservancy at www.nylandmarks.org.
About the Flushing Meeting :
Quakers have worshipped at Friends meetinghouse in Flushing NY for more than 300 years. Established in 1694, the meetinghouse is the oldest house of worship in New York and national landmark associated with the Flushing Remonstrance, the first successful struggle for religious freedom in America. Quakers went on to lead the movements to abolish slavery, establish public education, expand the rights of women, and promote peace around the world. For more information, visit Flushing Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends at flushingfriends.org.
About Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is a multicultural membership association that fosters the economic growth, inclusive diversity, and shared prosperity of our community through advocacy, networking, and education. For more information, visit the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce at flushingchamber.nyc.
About Flushing Fantastic:
Flushing Fantastic is a district wide initiative to promote the best of Flushing and invite visitors to experience all that Flushing offers. Launched in 2017, the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce partners with Asian Americans for Equality, the Flushing BID, and the NYC Department of Small Business Services to promote our vibrant and exciting neighborhood. For more information, visit the Flushing Fantastic at flushingfantastic.nyc.
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